The Christian Teacher's Creed

The Christian Teacherʼs Creed1 Creation God created us to be like Him and to do His work. Fall The first man, Adam, chose to try to be God, rather than be like Him. All of Adamʼs capabilities were perverted, and his direction in life moved away from God and His truth. However, Adam did not become a non-person; he kept all that God had given him as part of being made in Godʼs image. Adam misused that image to dishonor God (as is still the case with us). Therefore, Adam, along with the rest of creation, was doomed to death and destruction. Redemption God graciously restored Adam (and his future generations) to his created place and task. God gave His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of sin. Through faith in Christ, we are enabled to do what God called us to do and be what God created us to be. Our work is done in the midst of a battleground, as the enemy plots to delude us (just as he did in the beginning). The image is therefore not perfect--yet, nor is our work for God. In the midst of this culture, our lives as His image bearers imperfectly testify to the lifechanging reality of God and His truth. Restoration One day, though, Godʼs kingdom will be instituted in its fullness, and we will be made perfect. We will no longer have to battle the enemy in this earth, and we will rejoice and worship God in a new heaven and a new earth. Until this day comes, however, we labor as teachers, seeking to fulfill our task as Godʼs image bearers through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer. Biblical principles form the foundation of our approach to teaching. The teacher who deals practically with students as Godʼs image bearers doing Godʼs work will have a classroom that embodies biblical principles. In such a classroom, daily assignments, test questions, disciplinary techniques, subjects being studied, the time in and out of school — everything the teacher does — is structured to reflect those foundational principles. The prospects for applying these principles are difficult, for the teacher works as an ambassador of Godʼs kingdom in a culture where the devil works actively to undermine, discourage, and delude. But the potential is exciting, and Godʼs promise of His Spirit to empower us is far bigger than any barriers the enemy can construct. 1

Adapted, with great liberty, from the final pages of Donovan Grahamʼs third chapter, “Creation-FallRedemption: A Framework for Building,” from the book Teaching Redemptively: Bringing Grace and Truth into Your Classroom, pages 35-36